Louisiana Medical Marijuana Card Legislation
In 1991 Louisiana legalized medical marijuana with Act No. 874. Unfortunately, the Act used the word “prescribe” which is disallowed by the Federal government since marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug. This made doctors a target for federal law enforcement while stating no allowances for selling or possessing medical marijuana.
In 2016, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed SB 271, creating a medical marijuana program, and being the first state in the deep south to create such a legalized program. The bill replaced the “prescribe” legalese from the 1991 medical marijuana Act No 874. SB 271 specifies that medical marijuana must be provided in process, non-smokable forms and distributed to patients through up to 10 pharmacies. LSU and Southern University were the first to become licensed marijuana production centers for the state, while allowing for one additional producer to be licensed.
In June 2018, HB 579 and HB 627 were signed, expanding the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana while also pushing LSU and Southern University to conduct research on the medical value of marijuana.
In 2018, the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners eliminated the 100 patient-maximum rule per licensed doctors under the state’s medical marijuana program. The board also removed a restriction that required patients to revisit their doctor every 9-days to renew orders for medical marijuana products.
In 2020, Louisiana passed HB 211 to protect banks and physicians, HB 418 to protect hospitals from marijuana-relation prosecution and HB 819 which further expanded the list of qualifying conditions to nearly any condition where a licensed physician believes that a patient may benefit from medical marijuana.
Louisiana Medical Marijuana Card Cultivation & Possession Laws
Patients and caregivers may possess up to a one-month supply of medical marijuana, determined by their physician. Cultivation of marijuana is illegal in Louisiana, as medical marijuana is only legal in non-smokable forms.
How to get a Louisiana Medical Cannabis Card Online
The process to apply for a Louisiana medical marijuana certification is pretty simple. There are two steps involved. First and foremost, Louisiana patients must schedule the online evaluation at MMJ.com to receive the LA medical marijuana doctor’s approval. Next, the patient will select a Louisiana medical marijuana pharmacy to enroll in. There are currently 10 active Louisiana medical marijuana pharmacies. After the patient selects the pharmacy, the Louisiana medical marijuana doctor will fax the prescription to the pharmacy to enroll the patient in the Louisiana medical marijuana program. The Louisiana medical marijuana pharmacy will then reach out directly to the patient and notify that they are able to visit the pharmacy and complete their medical marijuana purchase.
How to renew a Louisiana Medical Cannabis Card Online
The process to renew a Louisiana medical cannabis certification is pretty simple, it is basically the same process as the initial medical marijuana certification. First, Louisiana MMJ card patients must schedule the online evaluation at MMJ.com to receive the Louisiana medical marijuana doctor’s approval. Next, the MMJ patient will tell the doctor which pharmacy to submit the new 12 month Louisiana medical marijuana prescription. The Louisiana medical marijuana patient will then receive another 12 months of access to the Louisiana cannabis pharmacy of their choice.